(tried out a purple font color ... too dark on this background - going back to my default)
Or ... "A funny thing happened on the way to ordering a satin Pearl Blue CT3."

I'll do a brief post, then pix, then another post with some review.

So, I've been jonesing for (yet) another CT (this is my 8th!!), and decided it was time to treat myself (1 of my dogs decided to treat itself to a HUGE vet bill in the interim, but that's another story - I took the hit and survived, and she's OK too!!). I ordered this on March 14th during the 2016 CT run. This was originally going to be almost the exact same specs but in satin Pearl Blue. I've been wanting to try a satin metallic color. Someone posted the day I was about to order about the limited satin purple run. So I changed my mind THAT DAY. There have been some new options (noted below : (*)) that I've been wanting to try, so I ordered them on this guitar (something different for my 8th CT).

I was reluctant to go with a satin color due to the potential to wear to a shine. But I saw shots of satin Pearl Blue, and LOVED the effect, and was the reason I was originally going with that color. I am SO GLAD I got the satin purple!! (May or not be a satin form of "Grape Jelly"?)
I already want at least 2 or 3 more CT3s - in the original satin Pearl Blue I had planned, in the Purple/Blue color shift, and another possible moss green with black limba body/neck and perhaps zebra board. GAS NEVER SLEEPS!!

Thick neck:
I know the actual specs are minimal, but I can feel the thicker dimensions in this CT vs other CTs I own. Its subtle, but noticeable with a familiar profile. It fills my hand but is not uncomfortable. After playing this and my Platinum Gold CT3 for a while, I think I slightly prefer the original dimensions, so may not pay for this option on other GAS relief ventures.

I also paid for the 12 inch radius. This is another deal where I'm sure the default 14 inch would work, but I prefer the 12 inch radius. I have older Carvins with the 15 inch radius, and work just fine, may be more comfortable for lead runs, but I think I prefer a bit more roundness for chording.

Lithiums:
These are my initial thoughts on the Lithiums. In summary, they drive my amp harder than my usual M22T / C22J, and have that treble "spike" others have mentioned. They have me rolling the tone knob down anywhere from the set screw pointing toward the output jack to straight down away from me. That's quite a bit of roll-off, but I am a "user" of both tone and vol in all my guitars. I also have the vol rolled back more than usual, around 8-8.5.
I have only tried this thru my V3MC so far, and not thru my preferred X100B IV. Some day I'll roll that amp out (with Celest Vin 30 pair) and give it a try.
I am giving further consideration to swapping these with the M22T/C22J in my Moss Green Meanalishi. Well, see - maybe next (coordinated) string change?

Luminlay side AND fretboard diamond markers :
I wasn't sure if this was an option at the time, but just asked about it. It WAS available, so I went for it. You can see in the pix below how cool it looks (altho they may capture more glow due to exposure - I just point and shoot mostly, but I did try several camera modes). I would do this on other black ebony board CTs I order.

I love the pointy 3x3 headstock. With the dark-ish purple color and perhaps satin finish, its hard to tell that the Kiesel logo is silver, and I had to use a magnifying glass with a light to see if it was drop-shadow. I *think* it is.
I would repeat these options.

Liking the smooth locking tuners. The good points others have made about the "soft" case made me not worry about getting that for my 1st time. Its as solid as everyone has said, and very useful. Not sure I'd store another guitar on top - just in case, so with all the guitars (in cases) I have socked away in my raised ranch ("submarine" quarters, so it feels sometimes) house, this one must be on top.

Misc stuff -
My "photo shoot" leather sofa is showing wear now that I've had 2 dogs since last August. I think you'll see some of that in the pix, but oh well. I had to wipe down the dog hair from that, and the guitar to do a better shoot.

Facebook pic somebody posted (Thanks!)

Last edited by wickid on Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:03 am; edited 12 times in total

wickidCurator: Carvin Museum of NY

Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 1093
Location: NY

Posted:
Fri Jun 24, 2016 11:34 am

( ... some attempts to get the Luminlay glow to follow ... )

Last edited by wickid on Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:06 am; edited 1 time in total

wickidCurator: Carvin Museum of NY

Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 1093
Location: NY

Posted:
Fri Jun 24, 2016 11:53 am

Here are some seriously ShSHshsSHsHaAAaKkKKyYyYY attempts at getting the Luminlay glow. It took the "Fireworks" setting on my camera to get the best shots, but that was a LONG exposure time, and my hand ... wasn't so steady. I tried to get the inlays with the side dots as best I could. Some of the effects are pretty cool, I think.
I added a few lit up shots for perspective ...
I also adjusted the pix and sharpened them up (using the auto setting in Roxio Photosuite - it just hit them up a tad).

Last edited by wickid on Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:07 am; edited 1 time in total

RandyRegular Contributor

Joined: 12 Dec 2011
Posts: 111
Location: PNW

Posted:
Fri Jun 24, 2016 12:39 pm

SWEET!!

Aside from the most excellent color choice, that headstock and Kiesel logo seem to be the perfect complement to your CT. These photos are giving me some serious GAS for a similar optioned Vader bass

Those Luminlay inlays look really bright-- did you charge them with something special?

Congrats on a killer build! Happy NGD

wickidCurator: Carvin Museum of NY

Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 1093
Location: NY

Posted:
Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:26 pm

Thanks - I'm digging it. Will post a review some time this weekend, perhaps. (Dogs, house, job, etc ... took me this long to get pix and not cowbell )
I used some sort of LED "camping" lamp, possibly for reading or use in a tent - rectangular with a fold-out stand. Got it 1 day on a whim at Sears. Eats batteries like crazy. I probably ran it up and down the neck for about 5 mins.

The brightness might just be due to how the camera captured it. Theres a good glow that lasts a while (the whole shoot in a dark-ish room (TV was on), roughly 20-30 mins), but probably not really as bright as in some of the pix.
I keep the guitar on a stand, typically in some sunlight when I get home. At night, it gives off a cool green-ish glow, I usually notice when I turn out the lights and/or TV - right before bed.

wickidCurator: Carvin Museum of NY

Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 1093
Location: NY

Posted:
Sat Jun 25, 2016 10:08 pm

Well, I broke out my X100B IV tonite for a short while, while the dogs were outside. Funny, when they came back in - they've never seen this X100 Beast out of the guitar room, and began barking at it like it was the vacuum cleaner or something.
Hard to believe I haven't touched this amp since I got the 1st dog back in August - almost 10.5 months. Don't EVER let me do that again!!!

Wow, the tight low end those 6L6s deliver!!! How I love the clean and lead in this amp. That innate bass really helped with the treble nature of the Lithiums. With the tone rolled with the set screw straight down (rather extreme), it came closer to the M22T/C22J tone from my Plat Gold CT3M and Moss Green CT6C I also broke out tonite. It was not muddy at all, as some p/ups can be at that low of a tone setting.
Funny thing, I have a slight bump in the graphic eq on the lead channel at 150 and 1.5K hz. You'd think the latter would emphasize the inherent treble. I mean it was still there to a degree, but more tamed in this amp. Not too shabby.

Only tried it for a short while. *SO* glad I played this amp once again!!!

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